Impact of the HEIP Program

Since its inception, the Health Equity Innovation Pilot (HEIP) program has funded 34 projects, with 5 additional projects underway for Year 5 (2023-24).

Roughly $1 million has been committed between DOM and divisional funds over the duration of the HEIP program. 14 of 20 divisions as well as 2 units within the Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care have supported at least one project.

The HEIP program has had an important and durable impact on the careers of the faculty and trainees who have received funding through this mechanism. HEIP has also catalyzed the growth of health equity research at BWH, and resulted in numerous publications; national, regional, and local presentations; and clinical innovations and reductions in health inequities at BWH and beyond.

Past HEIP Projects

Project Leader(s)Division(s)/Unit(s)Project Title
Maureen Achebe, MBBS
Lauren Merz, MD, MSc
HematologyImpact of Duffy Status on Chemotherapy Administration Among Black Women with Breast Cancer
Ritika Dutta, MD
Sowda Ahmed, MD
Jeffrey Schnipper, MD, MPH
Amrapali Maitra, MD
Hospital Medicine / Internal MedicineDecreasing Racial Inequities in the Utilization of Security Emergency Responses in the Hospital
Amirreza Haghighi, MD, PhDGeneticsEvaluating the Visual Representation of Race and Sex in Medical Education and Patient Engagement Materials
Navin Kumar, MD
Jean Padilla, MD, MPH
Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and EndoscopyImproving the Quality of Colon Cancer Screening for our Spanish-Speaking Patient Population
Colleen Monaghan, MD
Lillian Zerihun, MD
Primary Care / Internal MedicineAddressing Disparities in Hypertension Control in the Primary Care Setting
Lisa Rotenstein, MD
Marie McDonnell, MD
Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension / Primary CareThe Diabetes Collaborative Care Program to Enhance Outcomes for Hispanic/Latino/Latinx Patients in BWH Primary Care
Bram Wispelwey, MD, MPH
Regan Marsh, MD, MPH
Michael Wilson, MD, MPH
Rose Olson, MD
Hospital Medicine / Department of Emergency MedicineEnhancing Racial Equity for Medicine Admissions Boarding in the BWH Emergency Department

Project Leader(s)Division(s)/Unit(s)Project Title
MaryCatherine Arbour, MD, MPHGlobal Health Equity / Primary CareEvaluation of the Expansion of a Primary Care Based Housing Intervention on Health Outcomes
Walter Chan, MD, MPHGastroenterology, Hepatology, and EndoscopyRacial/Ethnic Disparities in the Management of Functional Dyspepsia
Christopher Estiverne, MDRenal MedicineAchieving Kidney Transplant Equity in Black Populations
Candace Feldman, MD, ScDRheumatology, Inflammation, and ImmunityPromoting Equity in Rheumatic Disease Care and Research through Peer Leadership: The PRAISE Program
Elizabeth Gay, MDPulmonary and Critical Care MedicineEnsuring Equity in a Post-Acute COVID-19 Recovery Center at BWH
Richard Joseph, MD, MBAEndocrinology, Diabetes, and HypertensionThe Healthy Lifestyle Program
Bevin Kenney, MDPrimary Care (Brookside Community Health Center)Community Health Coaches for Pre-Diabetes
Lydia Pace, MD, MPHWomen’s HealthAddressing Inequities in Individualized Approaches to Breast Cancer Risk Reduction
Sari Reisner, ScDEndocrinology, Diabetes, and HypertensionMeeting the Healthcare Needs of Transgender and Gender Diverse Patients at BWH
Cynthia So-Armah, MDPrimary Care (Brookside Community Health Center)Re-engaging Patients in Cancer Screening during COVID-19: A Student-Driven Telephone Outreach Approach

Project Leader(s)Division(s)/Unit(s)Project Title
Maureen M. Achebe, MBBSHematologyAbsolute Neutrophil Counts by Duffy Status in health African American Adults
Esteban F. Gershanik, MD, MPH, MScHospital MedicineEvaluating Potential Disparities in Care between Limited-English Proficient and English Proficient patients on the Inpatient Medicine Service and Impact of Various Interpreting Services
Tahir Haque, MD
Rob Boxer, MD, PhD
Marina Kishlyansky, DO
Hospital MedicinePatient Populations and Decrease Provider Burnout
Bisola Ojikutu, MD, MPHGlobal Health EquityOvercoming Structural Challenges to PrEP Access at Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Roseanna Means, MDWomen’s HealthImpact of Concierge Care on Maternal Health and Birth Outcomes for Pregnant Housing-Insecure Women
Agustina Saenz, MDHospital MedicineA Brigham Inpatient Opioid Stewardship Initiative (BIOSI) to help mitigate racial/ethnicity biases in pain management
Valerie Stone, MD, MPHPrimary Care (with DOM support)Are there racial/ethnic disparities in the cancer care continuum at BWH/DFCI?
Dylan Tierney, MDGlobal Health EquityEvaluating the Impact of Terminations on Health Equity of Patients at Brigham Health
Bram Wispelwey, MD, MPHGlobal Health Equity (support from Cardiovascular Medicine)Reducing Structural Inequities in Heart Failure Management: Implementation and Prospective Evaluation of Novel Admission Service Decision Tool

Project Leader(s)Division(s)/Unit(s)Project Title
Rob Boxer, MD, PhDGeneral Internal Medicine and Primary CareReducing Structural Inequities in Heart Failure Management: An approach to improve the quality of heart failure care on the General Medicine Service
Candace Feldman, MD, MPH, ScDRheumatology, Inflammation, and ImmunityAddressing Racial, Ethnic, and Socioeconomic Disparities in Lupus Care Through an Integrated Care Management Program Pilot
Laura N. Frain, MD, MPHAgingTargeted Geriatric ‘No-Show’ Home Visits for High Risk, Vulnerable Older Adult Patients In the Phyllis Jen Center for Primary Care
Monik C. Jimenez, ScDWomen’s HealthDeveloping best practices to collect information on past history of incarceration
Mallika Mendu, MDRenal MedicineThe Impact of Race Multiplier in the Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate Equation on Care Delivery in African American Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: A Registry-Based Analysis
Annie Lewis-O’Connor, NP-BC, MPH, PhDWomen’s HealthAdvancing Trauma-Informed Education into Clinical Practice for Adults: A Curriculum for the Hospital Staff
Evan Shannon, MD, MPHGeneral Internal MedicineRacial disparities in interhospital transfer
Bram Wispelwey, MD, MPHGlobal Health EquityReducing Structural Inequities in Heart Failure Management: Understanding and Addressing the Drivers of Admission Service Decisions